Cop killed in crash was over legal alcohol limit: coroner

A rookie Waukegan police officer killed in a single-car crash last weekend had a blood alcohol content 3 1/2 times higher than the legal limit to drive, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Officer Jason J. Mueller was off-duty when the crash occurred near U.S. Highway 45 and Washington Street in Gurnee at about 3 a.m. Saturday, according to a release issued by Waukegan Police Chief Wayne Walles.

Mueller, 27, had been hired by the department last September and worked for the patrol division, the release said. Mueller was an Army Ranger who served two active combat tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, Walles said in the release.

Mueller is survived by his wife Katie and young daughter Ava.

“Although Officer Mueller was with the WPD for less than a year, he will be greatly missed,” the release said. “He was known as an aggressive officer that loved working out in his down time.”